Typification of Lilium lancifolium
Author
Yun-Dong Gao
Author
Xin-Fen Gao
text
Taxon
2017
66
1
172
174
journal article
36258
10.12705/661.12
cf2702d1-3b1e-4508-aa1a-0c764bf7a090
400230
TYPIFICATION
Thunberg did not select a type specimen or provide an illustration for
Lilium lancifolium
when he named the species and described it as “Foliis sparsis lanceolatis, corollis erectis subcampanulatis” (1794: 333). In his description, Thunberg cited his earlier misidentification of
L. lancifolium
in
Flora Japonica
as
L. bulbiferum
L. Based
on the record of German naturalist Engelbert Kaempfer in his
Amoenitatum
(1712: 871), Thunberg included
L. bulbiferum
in
Flora Japonica
; later he realized this is a new species and named it
L. lancifolium
(1794: 333)
. We first searched for original material of
Lilium lancifolium
in the collections of Kaempfer. Kaempfer did not des- ignate or refer to any specimens in his work (1712: 871). With assistance from curatorial staff, we searched collections in BM (based on
Stafleu, 1986
) but failed to yield any original material (J. Wajer, pers. comm.).
We then sought original material of
Lilium lancifolium
col- lected by Thunberg during his travels in Japan. To accomplish this, we identified herbaria that contain Thunberg material using
Taxonomic literature
(
Stafleu, 1986
) and found 22 such herbaria. Among these were UPS, where Thunberg’s primary collections are housed, as well as other institutions to which Thunberg sent Japanese specimens, namely G, L, LD, S and U. We searched these collections via online databases and through personal communications with curators, and found only one
L. lancifolium
specimen collected by Thunberg, with the name annotated on the sheet. The specimen is UPS-THUNB No. 8139 (
Fig. 1
), and it is housed in a special repository at UPS for ~28,000 of Thunberg’s collections from Japan (partially data- based at http://cpthunberg.ebc.uu.se/thunberginjapan). We here regard this specimen as “original material” of
L. lancifolium
.
Received: 21 Sep 2016 | returned for (first) revision: 14 Oct 2016 | (last) revision received: 15 Oct 2016 | accepted: 18 Oct 2016 || publication date(s): online fast track, 7 Feb
2017
; in print and online issues, 23 Feb 2017 || © International Association for Plant Taxonomy (IAPT) 2017
The UPS-THUNB No. 8139 sheet bears no locality details, but it clearly comprises one of Thunberg’s collections from Japan.
The above conclusion is based on the specimen having upward oriented (i.e., “corollis erectis”) flowers and lanceo- late leaves (i.e., “Foliis … lanceolatis”). This probably misled Thunberg attributing
Lilium bulbliferum
to UPS-THUNB No. 8139 which bearing buds instead of flowers, since the flower orientation of
L. lancifolium
will change from upwards to nod- ding with maturity as pedicels elongate (Y.D. Gao, pers. obs. in the field). In eastern Asia, there are very few species that have bulbils and heavy stem hair, facilitating the identifica- tion of the UPS-THUNB No. 8139 specimen. After extensive examination, we confirmed this specimen as one of Thunberg’s material of
L. lancifolium
based on possessing (1) trichomes on the stem and leaves (
Liang & Tamura, 2000
;
Skinner, 2002
) and (2) distal leaves bearing dark purple axillary bulbils (
Liang & Tamura, 2000
;
Skinner, 2002
).
Fig. 1.
Thunberg's collection No. 8139 from Japan.
Typification of
Lilium lancifolium
is a first step towards resolution of the taxonomic and nomenclatural confusion of the species. Below, we designate the specimen UPS-THUNB No. 8139 as the lectotype of
L. lancifolium
Thunberg
, consistent with Art. 7–10 of the
ICN
(
McNeill & al., 2012
). In particular, the specimen comprises an original collection of the species by the authority from the type locality (i.e., Japan), and satisfies the concept presented in the protologue.
Lilium lancifolium
Thunb. in Trans. Linn. Soc. London
2: 333. 1794
–
Lectotype (designated here)
:
“
Lilium lancifolium
” (UPS-THUNB No. 8139 [digital image!]).
=
Lilium
tigrinum
Ker Gawl. in Bot. Mag.
31: t. 1237. 1809 – Holotype: [illustration in] Bot. Mag. 31: t. 1237. 1809.